EU Alumni Gather at Oktoberfest

European University hosted its annual Oktoberfest Alumni reunion event in the Käfer-Festzelttent. Oktoberfest 2013 has already had over 6.9 million visitors who have consumed 6.3 million liters of beer.

This year’s event was the most successful to date with 85 alumni in attendance from all over the world including places like: China, Syria, U.A.E., Germany, Austria, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, U.K., U.S.A., Poland, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Bulgaria and the Philippines. EU President Dr. Dirk Craen welcomed all the alumni, and spoke about the importance of Oktoberfest to Munich.

The Käfer-Festzelt tent has been at Oktoberfest since 1971; the tavern’s unusual antiques and elaborate flower arrangements add to the wonderful atmosphere. The guests were treated to authentic Bavarian delicacies like crispy fried beetles, Bratwurst, roasted chicken, Kasseler Rippchen and lots of pretzels.

René van Baardewijk, president of the alumni association said “The Oktoberfest alumni reunion serves a platform for the alumni to network and learn about the experiences of other alumni who have traveled [far] to attend the event.”

EUAA Munich chapter leader Thomas Ruschke hasn’t missed a single Oktoberfest alumni event in the last three years. He says “The Oktoberfest Alumni events allows me to reconnect with people that I have not seen in a while and build business relationships. EU has a lot of talent across different industries and connecting with those people is of high value to me. I get to know their view points about the European economy and also get to learn more about the economy of their respective countries.” Alumni Noha Salama agrees, saying events like these help alumni meet and network, particularly useful for those looking to make career changes.

While they mingled, guests were treated to both popular hits and authentic live German music. Tracks like “Hey Baby” (If you will be my girl) got the crowd to their feet, with everybody standing on their chairs, dancing and singing along.

Xavier de Bergeyck, a chapter leader from Belgium who traveled to attend the event feels that events like these open various possibilities and demonstrate alumni support for both EU and the association. He loved the event as meeting up with his old classmates allowed him to relive his student days.

The event proved interesting for all. German alumni shared their knowledge of Bavarian culture and the Oktoberfest tradition with alumni from various other countries. Others also spoke about the beer and its importance to the economy of Germany.

The event concluded on a sweet note with traditional Bavarian deserts like Bienenstich (cake made with vanilla cream). With stomach filled with Bavarian tradition and pockets filled with cards and contacts, alumni left the tent wishing each other success and looking forward to an even better event next year.